He Hong'er (何紅兒; born 727),[1] also known by her alias Scarlet Thread (紅線, Mandarin: Hóngxiàn), was a Hidden One during the Tang dynasty.[2] She was the childhood sweetheart and wife of Yan Jiming, the son of Grand Protector Yan Gaoqing of Changshan Commandery.[1]
Biography[]
When the An Lushan Rebellion broke out in 755,[3] the Yan family, alone out of the twenty-four commanderies of Hebei Circuit, decided to resist the southward march of the rebel jiedushi's army.[4] Jiming enlisted the aid of the Hidden One Li E from Qinghe Commandery, and the two inspired a circuit-wide counter-rebellion after lighting the beacon at Julu.[5] Upon their return to Changshan, Li spent time training Jiming in martial arts, and it was during one of these sessions on 28 January 756[6] that Hong'er met the Hidden One for the first time, impressing him with her self-taught skill with a sword.[1]
Although Changshan forces were able to successfully capture Tumen Pass in a surprise attack that night,[6] their plan for Li E to link up with the main Tang army defending Chang'an at Tong Pass was thwarted by the Golden Turtles, a secret order which had infiltrated the Tang court.[7] Consequently, Changshan was unable to withstand a massive retaliatory attack by Lushan's lieutenant Shi Siming, falling on 12 February 756,[6] and Hong'er lost both her husband and father-in-law.[8]
Along with seven other survivors of the Battle of Changshan, Hong'er joined with Li E at Pingyuan Commandery to forge an alliance with Grand Protector Yan Zhenqing. There, they slew the delegation of Yeluohe sent by Lushan to intimidate Zhenqing with news of Jiming and Gaoqing's executions. With Zhenqing pledging Pingyuan to the loyalist cause, Hong'er and the other Changshan survivors accompanied Li E to Chang'an to assassinate the Golden Turtles and avenge Jiming.[9]
After blending in with Emperor Xuanzong's entourage as he fled from the capital, they unleashed their ambush on 15 July 756 as the Golden Turtles secretly met outside Mawei Station, simultaneously inciting a mutiny against the Golden Turtle leader, Right Chancellor Yang Guozhong, who was finished off by soldiers furious for his role in sabotaging the Tang defence effort.[10]
Two years later, He Hong'er formally joined the Hidden Ones as an apprentice of Li E under the name Scarlet Thread in memory of Yan Jiming.[11] Through her exploits, she later inspired a short story titled "The Legend of Scarlet Thread" (紅線傳).[2]
Behind the scenes[]
He Hong'er is a supporting character in Assassin's Creed: Dynasty (2020). According to the manhua's promotional material, she is based on the titular character of the fictional tale "The Legend of Scarlet Thread" (紅線傳), which is part of a late Tang anthology of short stories titled Ballads of Timely Rainfall (甘澤謠) and written by Yuan Jiao (袁郊).
The initial name given in her character profile was He Shi (何氏).[2] Shi (氏), literally 'clan', is a suffix with a meaning akin to English Ms or née. She is never referred to as He Shi in the actual manhua since her full name He Hong'er is used. This name is original to Assassin's Creed: Dynasty. In "The Legend of Scarlet Thread", her real name is neither revealed nor is the origin of her alias Scarlet Thread explained. Assassin's Creed: Dynasty offers its own account of the alias. It can be inferred in its finale that she adopts it in reference to the red headscarf left behind with Yan Jiming's head, for the red thread of fate is an East Asian motif symbolizing the destiny of true lovers. Moreover, her given name Hong'er (紅兒) itself means the colour red, with er (兒) being a diminutive suffix.
Despite pre-release media promoting He Shi as a major Assassin character, He Hong'er only joins Assassin protagonist Li E's party in the fifth and final volume, The Hidden Ones, and is only officially inducted at the ending.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Golden Turtles (Part 2)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – "The Assassin: He Shi"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Beacon Fire (Part 3)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Beacon Fire (Part 5)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Beacon Fire (Part 9)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Record of Major Events in Tianbao Year 14
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Last Stand of Justice (Part 3)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Last Stand of Justice (Part 8)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Hidden Ones (Part 3)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Hidden Ones (Part 5)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Finale: Assassination
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||